The Red Death
by Triforce90
Summary: Raven inherits a replica of the clock from The Masque of the Red Death. However, this will lead to the Titans most dangerous situation yet. Some might not make it out alive... Rated R for horrific images and BLOOD!
1. A Giant Clock of Ebony

A/N: Hello ya'll. …Yes, I said "ya'll". I'm back from the dead, ready to "entertain" your mushy little brains!

First off, I would just like to say that some of you may know about what I plan to do at the beginning of this year while some of you may not. I'm going to write a multi-chaptered drama fic and a multi-chaptered horror fic. I was going to "publish" both of them at the same time, but then I thought "Screw this," and decided I would publish _this _fic first, along with a humor fic, and then release the other when I'm done with this one. This was decided due to the fact that I actually have an estimate on how long this fic is going to be; the other one I do not.

Now that's out of the way, I would like to say that this fic is based mainly on my favorite short story, Edgar Allen Poe's _The Masque of the Red Death_. It's very good. If you haven't read it yet, I highly recommend that you get off your ass and head over to the library. Go wild and treat yourself.

And I think that this Author's Note is now long enough… And so begins a new year.

* * *

_This fic is dedicated to Keara and Terra. You girls rawk. Hard. _

**_The Red Death had long devastated the country. No pestilence had ever been so fatal, or so hideous. Blood was its Avatar and its seal --the redness and the horror of blood. There were sharp pains, and sudden dizziness, and then profuse bleeding at the pores, with dissolution. The scarlet stains upon the body and especially upon the face of the victim were the pest ban which shut him out from the aid and from the sympathy of his fellow-men. And the whole seizure, progress and termination of the disease, were the incidents of half an hour.  
_**

_**But the Prince Prospero was happy and dauntless and sagacious.**_

****

"I'M BACK!" called out Beast Boy as he entered the familiar tower. Twice his voice bounced off the metallic walls. Its fun, cheery vibe rang throughout the building.

"COME ON UP, BB!" shouted a voice nine stories above. "YOU KNOW WHERE WE ARE!"

Such an idea for the tower's interior was ingenious. The tower, which stood ten stories tall, was obviously very large; not only in height, but in width as well. One would think that due to the fact that the household was so large, a person nine stories above another would not be able to hear each other speak. Such a thing was not the case. Even though there were indeed nine stories that separated the two people, they could actually hear each other quite clearly, almost as clearly as if they were right next to each other.

Such a feat was accomplished by the metallic walls. Since sound quickly travels through metal, a person in the tower could simply speak a bit louder than usual in order to be heard by another. This proved useful if one of the tower's occupants needed someone or something and didn't have the time or was unable to find them. Also, since the tower was so huge, it was always possible that finding somebody would take a long time. Of course, some rooms would need privacy, such as bedrooms. In these instances, thick soundproof pads were aligned along the bottoms of the walls in these rooms. Even though they blocked a great amount of sound, a person could still be heard if he shouted at the top of his lungs.

Beast Boy grinned; he indeed knew where his friends were.

Clutching tightly to the brown bag he was carrying, the young changeling walked briskly towards the elevators. It seemed to be getting heavier and heavier all the time… It was a good thing that the elevators were so close to the main entrance.

Still clinging tightly to the bag, Beast Boy struggled to lift his right leg off the ground. His goal, of course, was to try to touch the "up" button with his foot. He succeeded in pressing a button, but not the one he desired. He instead accidentally pressed the button that would go down into the basement, where he and his friends stored things that wouldn't fit in their rooms or no longer had use for.

"Aw man…" he said to himself, solemnly. He could, of course, try to press the "up" button again, but it was much trickier than the other… Chances are he would hit the wrong button once again. He then considered pressing the right button with one of his elbows, but before he could carry out his plan, the elevator door began to open, revealing a girl wearing a blue cloak with skin so pale you could immediately tell that she hardly went outside.

"Going down?" asked Raven monotonously.

"Up," replied Beast Boy.

Raven stuck her head out of the elevator and looked at the two buttons.

"Evidently you're going down. Either that or you've gone blind." She pulled her head back into the elevator. "You might as well come on in… I'm going up after a trip to the basement. I don't plan to live down there, after all."

Beast Boy quickly did as his friend suggested. The bag was getting too heavy to bear much longer.

After leaning against the back wall, the elevator doors closed.

"You got everything?" asked Raven, eyeing the brown bag as the elevator began to descend.

"Yep!" said Beast Boy, grinning. "Everything we need for a five hour marathon of classic TV!"

"What are we watching again?"

"_The Mary Tyler Moore Show_."

"Who's in it?"

"Well… Mary Tyler Moore… and a few other people. Haven't you ever heard of it?"

"Not much of a TV person," muttered the girl. "That includes retro television."

"You're just too out of the norm," said the changeling, grinning.

"I would have to say you are as well."

Before Beast Boy could say anything, the elevator doors opened, revealing the dimly lit basement. Raven immediately left her friend, allowing him to stew in his own muck.

"Wait up!" he finally shouted, following his friend. When he caught up to her, he merely looked around and asked, "So what are you doing down here?"

"Getting something."

"Wha… Oooh…"

Beast Boy had seen what Raven had come down to get. A giant, ebony grandfather clock was leaning against the back wall of the basement.

"What is it?"

"It's an atom bomb," replied Raven, no hint of sarcasm in her voice. "Don't tell anyone, though. I'm hiding it here for the…"

"Shut up," said Beast Boy, eyeing his friend.

"Goodness. Sorry."

Beast Boy looked back at the large clock, taking in every feature. A large pendulum stood behind a glass case. Two very thin hands indicated the hour and minute; they reminded him significantly of Big Ben in England.

"So…" he began, not able to think of anything to discuss. "Where'd you get it?"

"It was a hereditary gift from my grandmother; my mother's mother," replied Raven. "She left it in her will for me. I've had it in here for a while… It was too large for anything and it's very old. See how everything's broken in some way?"

Beast Boy hadn't noticed it before, but she was right. The pendulum was dark with dust and seemed to be disconnected, while the glass case it stood behind was cracked in several places. A gear that held the two hands seemed to be worn, probably from continuous use.

"It's very pretty," said Beast Boy, nodding approvingly.

Raven merely gave a "Mhmm," and stood in silence for a while. Beast Boy did the same, making sure to take in every detail. Raven finally broke the silence.

"Know what it's supposed to be?"

Beast Boy glanced at the girl, feeling the brown bag begin to slip through his fingers. "Is this a trick question?"

"No."

"Then I'd have to say it looks like a clock."

"Well, yeah, but do you know what the clock is modeled after?"

Beast Boy immediately shook his head.

"In a story by Edgar Allen Poe there's a clock. This clock is just a collector's item that's supposed to be a replica. I, myself, wouldn't really care for such a piece, but it's been passed down in my mother's family ever since the story first got its popularity. I'd like to hold onto it because this is the only one left."

"Really?" asked the changeling. "What happened to the others?"

"They were destroyed by accidents that couldn't have been prevented. Floods, quakes, et cetera. There were only five made, counting this one, so don't be thinking that there were floods and disasters everywhere. And these clocks were apparently in places where such things would happen… Los Angeles, in example, so don't be thinking that their destruction is a freak thing."

Beast Boy, who had seemed to be thinking just that, nodded. "I'm guessing that this would be worth a lot of money right now, then," he said, trying to carry on the conversation. He usually wasn't a fan of antiques, but this piece fascinated him a big deal.

"Yes, but I don't want to sell it. I feel it would dishonor my family… Even if I did, I would have to restore it either way. I don't think it would make much money in the state it's in right now."

As she said this, as if on cue, the broken glass case that had covered the pendulum completely fell apart, leaving the pendulum exposed and vulnerable.

"Well…" said Beast Boy, tightening the grip on his sack and heading towards the elevator. "Good luck with it."

"I'll need it," said Raven, who remained in place.

As the elevator door closed, Raven sighed. Might as well get it up there, she thought. She had spent up to two hours rearranging her room so that her wall would have space for this giant ornament… All she had to do was get it up there, which shouldn't be a problem, and then fix it.

After this thought, a black curtain shrouded the clock and herself, causing them to disappear from the basement. Exactly seven floors and a room to the right above, an identical curtain appeared. As soon as it came it left, leaving the empath and the giant clock behind.

Eyeing the clock, Raven began to leave her room; she would work on it later.


	2. The Redness and Horror of Blood

A/N: I would just like to thank everyone for leaving a nice little Review… The fic got a lot more of them than I thought it would. I know I said that this was based off _The Masque of the Red Death_, when I said "based", I mean it had some stuff from the story. Putting the Titans in a 19th century atmosphere would… ugh…

Enjoy the new chapter.

* * *

**_It was within this same apartment that there stood a gigantic ebony clock whose pendulum swang to and fro with a dull, heavy, monotonous clang. All who were present froze, and all activities ceased with the sounding of each hour by the clock. Musicians paused; waltzers stopped their dance; and the giddy grew pale. But when the echoes had fully ceased, a light laughter at once pervaded the assembly..._**

"Rae?" came a muffled voice. "Rae? Are you in there? The marathon's about to start… You should come down if you want to watch it. …Rae?"

Beast Boy knocked on his friend's door twice. A dull sound echoed throughout the hallway. There was no answer.

_Well she's obviously not in there_ thought Beast Boy to himself. _Might as well go down. _

Beast Boy turned to leave but, instead of walking like he planned to, he turned around again to where he was facing the same door.

_I'm sure she wouldn't mind… Then again, why would she? I'm just going to look at it. _

Beast Boy shrugged and punched in his friend's four-digit code. He knew very well that breaking into a friend's room was wrong, but this was just to take a look at the clock. It wasn't like he was going to take it from her.

The door slid open, permitting him access. Beast Boy confidently walked in and the door slid shut.

The girl's room had changed drastically since the last time Beast Boy had been in there. Things were still a dark shade of gray and purple, if not completely black, but it seemed a lot more cramped. Many of its occupants were in the same place, but a few knickknacks and shelves had been moved in order to make room for the large clock. However, the space prepared was still empty, for the clock was not lying against the wall but on the floor.

It had changed as well since the last time he saw it… It was not only one dilapidated piece, but now had parts littered all around it. His first guess was that Raven had taken the parts off to study them, trying to make sure how they would work so the clock would be in perfect condition when she put it back together.

Beast Boy's face was now right above the clock's. It was very ancient… If what Raven said was true, it had to be at least over one-hundred years old. He was surprised that the clock had even lasted that long with completely falling apart.

Beast Boy walked away from the face and towards some of the components that were lying around it. There were gears of all shapes and types, separated into piles according to size. Big gears, little gears, miniscule gears… It was amazing how Raven had been able to take them all apart without losing all of them.

There were also springs with not much spring left in them… It was obvious that she was going to have to get some new ones. There were also little bolts and other stuff that looked like they each had some part in maintaining the clock's homeostasis.

Beast Boy smiled as he gazed back over to the clock. It was very black and gothic, but it was pretty just the same.

Out of the corner of his eye, Beast Boy then noticed a black book sitting amongst the clutter. The reason why was unknown to him because, knowing Raven, it would be on a shelf, not on the floor. Beast Boy's curiosity grew instantly.

_I'm sure she wouldn't mind…_

Beast Boy headed over to the book and sat down. He grabbed its rough edges and opened the jacket, revealing the title in large cursive handwriting.

_Edgar Allen Poe  
Selected Poems and Tales_

Beast Boy harrumphed at the words and turned a couple of pages into the book. Letters were littered across every page, telling a story. He didn't really feel like reading anything, though. Just flipping through was enough.

It was then, however, that he turned to a mesmerizing yet horrifying picture. A corpse-like face was looking down on something with its mouth ajar and empty eyes glaring. The body of the face was covered with a red cloak with sleeves that covered its hands and dangled loosely in the air. A gold tree was embroidered on the chest, just below a frill collar.

This, however, was abnormal as well, for the cloak was covered in maroon blotches. He couldn't tell what this was… Judging from the corpse-like face, however, he had a good idea that it was… _blood_…

As his mouth began to open like the mouth in the picture, he glanced to the right and noticed that this… character had a scythe raised up into the air. Just by looking at this he knew that it was razor-sharp, and he couldn't help but get chills when he noticed that the edges of the scythe looked like it was stained by the same thing that made up the red blotches on the cloak.

His eyes continued to absorb and reabsorb this corpse-like character, wondering just _how _a person could imagine something up like this. There obviously had to be some influence in Poe's life that had caused this image to come to mind. Either that or he had a huge imagination.

Beast Boy then felt a huge chill going down his spine. Towards the back of the picture was a giant ebony clock, much like the one right next to him.

Beast Boy must have sat on the floor for about five minutes, observing the clock in the book. Everything in the book was exactly the same as the clock next to him in every way. He knew it was supposed to be a replica, and he was okay with that, but it was something else that bothered him.

It looked as if the corpse-like character had _come out _of the clock…

(A/N: I would like to say that yes, this is a real book, and I'm sorry if I wrongly described the picture in any way. It's been a while since I've seen it.)

He knew it was a fictional story, but the picture made it look so real. He was broken out of his trance, however, when he heard something slide open behind him.

"What are you doing?"

Beast Boy immediately stood up and turned around to see Raven with an unpleasant look on her face.

"Hi," he said, meekly.

"What are you doing in here?" she asked, tone more fierce than before.

"I had just come up to ask if you were going to come down to watch TV. I got a little sidetracked, I guess… I wanted to see the…"

"Just forget it. I would like to tell you, though, that we've been down in the living room for ten minutes, wondering where you were."

Raven then gave a "Mph" and picked something up. Beast Boy hadn't seen it before, but Raven had been carrying a rectangular piece of glass.

"You're already restoring the clock?" asked Beast Boy.

"Of course. You know me… I love busy work."

Beast Boy smiled as his friend carried the glass over and set it down on the floor.

"I take it you looked through my book," said Raven, noticing the open book next to the changeling's foot.

Beast Boy looked down at his feet, seeing the horrific picture once again.

"Oh… Yeah. Yeah, I did."

"You like it?"

"It's okay."

"…You didn't read any of the story, did you?"

"No."

"Ah."

Raven bent down and picked up the book, closing it as she rose back up. She then turned to her green friend and handed the book to him. "You can borrow it, if you want."

"Uh… Sure. Thanks, I guess."

Beast Boy looked down at the book, not sure if he wanted to open it again.

"Well, come on. If we're going to watch that show, we better get down, huh? The first episode's already about halfway over."

Beast Boy looked up from the book and into his friend's deep, amethyst eyes.

"Sure."

* * *

"I think I'm going to go upstairs now."

The Titans all looked over to their dark friend, wondering why she would want to go up to her room during this classic night of TV.

"Are you sure?" asked Robin from the couch. "The marathon's not even half-over."

"Yeah. I've got some stuff I'd like to do anyway."

Beast Boy could've sworn he saw Raven look at him.

"Well, alright. If you're sure."

"I am."

And with that, Raven left.

_Am I sure... Of course I'm sure. Good grief, Robin. Sometimes I get concerned about you._

Raven reached her door and punched in her four-digit password. The door opened and she went in, causing it to close and lock itself in place.

_Beast Boy better have just been looking at the clock. If I find anything that's out of place, I'll… _

Raven looked down at the clock's face and noticed a dark spot against the yellowed surface. It was either something that wasn't there before or that she just hadn't noticed.

Raven sat on the cold hard surface of the floor, not even taking her eyes off of the spot. It was true that yes, it could've just been a stain, but the reason why it would be on the face made it unusual.

As Raven leaned forward, her own face became closer and closer to the face of the clock. The extremities grew larger, and soon, Raven was quickly able to identify the stain.

It was blood.

It was then that something took over her body. She lost all sense of sight and touch. Her sense of sight came back to her later, but it caused her to realize that she was not in her bedroom any longer. Instead, she was in a large violet room; the floors were violet, the ceiling was violet, and all the furniture was violet. Even the windows had a violet tinting to them, which only increased the brilliance of the room.

As Raven's sense of touch came back to her, she suddenly felt more weighed down and hot. Noticing that this uncomfortable feeling was coming from below, she looked down and saw that instead of her usual blue cloak and leotard, she was wearing what looked to be a 19th century party dress. It was very tight and extremely uncomfortable, but she didn't have time to complain.

A mob of people had appeared in front of her.

As Raven observed the people around her, she noticed how all the women seemed to be dressed like her in such a way, confirming her sudden suspicion that she was not in her own time period any longer. Men were dressed in unusual clothing as well, but she did not have time to observe their appearances. She had been distracted when she noticed that everyone seemed to be leaving the room, making her one of the last few to remain.

Not wanting to miss anything, the empath followed the others, tripping over her dress and finding it difficult to run in a pair of equally uncomfortable shoes. After what seemed like to be an eternity, she reached the end of the violet room and followed a man and a woman into another.

She was now standing in a room covered in black decorations; black curtains fell from the ceiling and bundled on the equally black floor, providing a horrific aura. The windows were blood red and only added to the uneasiness.

She was once again distracted when she heard sharp cries ring throughout the room.

Her instincts took over immediately, causing the girl to turn towards the back of the room. She had been right at the entrance, too mesmerized by the decorations of the room to pay attention to what the group of people in front of her might have been doing.

The people that had once persuaded her to come into the room were now lying on the floor, writhing and screaming in an obvious agony. Blood seemed to be coming out of every pore in their body, causing them to open their mouths wide and unleash a bloodcurdling scream.

Raven just stood there, her mind filling with questions. How had she gotten to this terrible place? Who were all these people? What suddenly caused them to start bleeding in every place imaginable?

Looking down towards the ground, she noticed that a young boy's head was lying right next to her feet. He looked up at her and screamed, his eyes becoming wide and bloodshot. Blood poured from his face and onto her shoes and ankles, causing a warm, tingly feeling to run down her feet.

Backing away, Raven felt something grab her leg. A woman had reached her arm towards the empath and grabbed her, digging her fingernails into the girl's pale skin.

Raven gasped in horror at the woman's face; it was distorted with pain and covered with blood. Her eyes began to roll towards the back of her head, causing the empath to give a shudder in fear. Her desire for the woman to release her leg increased.

"Get off," said Raven, quietly. "Please, let me go!"

Raven could've sworn she felt hot tears slowly leaking from her eyes. Sure enough, a teardrop fell into the woman's own puddle of blood, causing it to ripple. The woman's grip only tightened as her skin and clothes became redder.

Raven lifted her leg and lightly stepped on the woman's arm. The woman was obviously weak, for it didn't take much force at all to release her leg. Not caring about where she stepped or whom she stepped on, Raven began walking as fast as she could towards the exit of the room, wanting to get out of wherever she was.

As Raven reached the exit of the room, she turned around to look at the terrifying people once more. She knew that it would be a horrific image to remember, but she just had to see it one last time.

People had begun to die, and the yells of pain were growing quiet. As Raven observed, she noticed that several people were leaking blood into their own mouth. Raven clenched her eyes shut when she began to hear low gargling noises coming from full mouths. These poor people…

Though Raven's closed eyes kept her from seeing, they didn't keep her from knowing that someone else other than she wasn't suffering…

Quickly opening her eyes, the empath began to observe something other than the people on the floor. Near the back of the room, a tall, red figure towered over the room's suffering occupants. It was standing against, what had been before, an equally blood red window, but the red panes seemed to be a pale pink in comparison to the figure.

Raising an eyebrow, Raven began to take a few steps towards the figure, wondering who this person was and why he wasn't suffering with everyone else.

Then it happened… The figure turned towards Raven, revealing a horrifying corpse-like face, its mouth agape and empty eyes staring down at the young girl.

Like a thousand knives coming from each direction, pain seared through Raven's body. Her knees instantly gave out, sending her to the floor. The pain only seemed to increase each second, and soon Raven felt something hot running all over her. Looking down at her hands, she realized that she was suffering from the same fate of the others.

As she opened her mouth to scream in pain, she felt a sharp jerk. She was once again in her own room.

Gasping, the empath looked down at her body. She was in her normal outfit, with no signs of blood ever being on her.

Panting for air, the girl quickly got up off the floor and left the room. Maybe watching TV with the others wasn't' a bad idea.


	3. From the Brazen Lungs

**_The musicians looked at each other and smiled as if at their own nervousness and folly, and made whispering vows, each to the other, that the next chiming of the clock should produce in them no similar emotion; and then, after the lapse of sixty minutes, (which embrace three thousand and six hundred seconds of the Time that flies,) there came yet another chiming of the clock, and then were the same disconcert and tremulousness and meditation as before._**

Beast Boy gargled the mouthful of warm water, allowing it to explore every area of his mouth. After the liquid tossed itself around for a good five seconds, the changeling spit into his sink, causing the spoiled water to go down the drain and out of his sight.

It had been a very rough day… Despite the numerous villains he and his team had confronted, he still took it upon himself to live the life of a normal teenage boy; playing sports, hanging out around the city, and interacting with his friends. Though many of them were busy, Raven being locked in her room and Cyborg working on his car, he still found the time to explain his videogames to Starfire, teaching her all the fundamentals, or training with Robin in the gym.

It was now eleven o'clock, and he was well-past ready for bed.

Opening his mouth widely to let out a yawn, Beast Boy felt the cold air of his room enter his windpipe, scraping against his bronchioles and cutting through even smaller tunnels. Jump City grew very chilly at this time of year, and though the temperature right now wasn't their lowest, it was still well below sixty degrees.

Most of the city's citizens enjoyed this drop in temperature. Even though it grew extremely cold in winter, it would only get blazing hot in the summer. Temperatures during July could reach several degrees over 100, causing a sense of misery to blanket the city. Winter temperatures could reach the lower twenties, making autumn and early spring the best times of the year.

Beast Boy, on the other hand, only hated the drop, despite how miserable he was a few months ago. His room was very prone to drafts, causing the bitter night air to bring his room to very low temperatures. In order to maintain a sense of comfort, the changeling used an electric blanket, allowing himself to adjust his warmth accordingly.

Beast Boy wrapped his arms around his body as his bare feet walked across the room. As soon as he reached his bed, he immediately grabbed the edges of his blanket and pulled them back, allowing him to slip in.

Beast Boy sighed in happiness as the artificial heat entered his body, causing any traces of cold in his body to vanish. He turned around and reached for his light switch, ready to call it a day. However, before he could turn the lights off, he noticed something black on his nightstand.

_Raven's book _he thought to himself, gazing at the rough black cover. He had put it there shortly after Raven gave it to him, not wanting anything to do with it. He assumed that if he kept it for a couple of days, Raven would go ahead and think he read some of it. His original plan, though, was to keep it untouched.

Something spoke to him in the corner of his mind, however. Though Beast Boy's conscious told him to stick to the plan above, a part of him wanted to read the book cover to cover.

Giving into his temptation, Beast Boy reached for the book with his right hand and gripped the rough book with his fingers. It was rather heavy, mainly because of the thickness of its pages, but he easily lifted it and brought it towards him with only a flick of his wrist.

Opening the book, his green eyes scanned the table of contents, eager to find out what was inside. Part of it was devoted to poems, the other stories.

Not really caring what he read, Beast Boy flipped through a couple of pages, only to turn to a gray picture of a resting woman. She looked quite at peace, her eyes shut tightly and a faint smile on her face. Looking at the title of the poem, Beast Boy then proceeded to read.

_**It was many and many a year ago,  
In a kingdom by the sea,  
That a maiden there lived whom you may know  
By the name of Annabel Lee;  
And this maiden she lived with no other thought  
Than to love and be loved by me. **_

I was a child and she was a child,  
In this kingdom by the sea;  
But we loved with a love that was more than love-  
I and my Annabel Lee;  
With a love that the winged seraphs of heaven  
Coveted her and me.

And this was the reason that, long ago,  
In this kingdom by the sea,  
A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling  
My beautiful Annabel Lee;  
So that her highborn kinsman came  
And bore her away from me,  
To shut her up in a sepulchre  
In this kingdom by the sea.

The angels, not half so happy in heaven,  
Went envying her and me-  
Yes!- that was the reason (as all men know,  
In this kingdom by the sea)  
That the wind came out of the cloud by night,  
Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee.

But our love it was stronger by far than the love  
Of those who were older than we-  
Of many far wiser than we-  
And neither the angels in heaven above,  
Nor the demons down under the sea,  
Can ever dissever my soul from the soul  
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee.

For the moon never beams without bringing me dreams  
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;  
And the stars never rise but I feel the bright eyes  
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;  
And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side  
Of my darling- my darling- my life and my bride,  
In the sepulchre there by the sea,  
In her tomb by the sounding sea.

Beast Boy glanced at the picture once again. She wasn't resting… she was dead.

Quickly turning the page, Beast Boy began to read another.

* * *

Starfire entered the kitchen, greeted by the sunlight shining through their large windows. She smiled to herself as a small amount of heat met her skin, getting rid of any remaining chill from the night before.

As she opened a cabinet, Starfire noticed Raven entering the room. She looked extremely exhausted; large, purpled marks were under her eyes, indicating lack of sleep.

"Hello Raven," said Starfire, a little less cheerful than normal, due to concern of her friend. "Did you not get any sleep?"

"None," replied Raven, her voice seeming muffled. She headed over to the sink, grabbing her teakettle from the stovetop as she did so.

"What were you doing?" asked Starfire, slowly pouring cereal into a glass bowl. "Did you have a nightmare or were you just not able to sleep?"

"Neither," said Raven, bringing her teakettle back to the stove. "I was working on the clock."

"You have been working very hard," said Starfire, smiling faintly as her friend turned on the stove. "Is it almost finished?"

"Almost. I've just got to fix the head and clean the bells. …Do we have any tarnish remover?"

"Yes," said Starfire, pointing towards the sink. "It is under there."

Raven smiled as a thank you gesture as the kettle began to whistle.

"If it is too much to ask, Raven," said Starfire, "I would not mind seeing it."

"It's not. You can help me, if you want. I'm planning to start working on it again this evening."

"You do not mind?"

"Why would I? It's not like you'd mess anything up."

Starfire grinned as she left the kitchen, leaving Raven to think about what she said.

_…Would she?_

Raven's thoughts were interrupted when Robin and Cyborg walked into the living room, a tired Beast Boy behind.

"Hey," said Robin. "Keep in mind we have combat practice this afternoon. I'm expecting top performance from each of you."

"Good morning to you, too," said Raven, taking a sip of tea as she left the kitchen. She could feel his eyes fixed upon her, but she didn't meet them at all. Instead, she made her way to the couch and sat down next to Beast Boy.

"You look tired," said Raven, drinking more of her tea. "Long night?"

"I guess," said Beast Boy, leaning against his palm. "You look like you had one."

"Very. What did you do?"

"I read in that book you gave me."

"Really?" asked Raven, putting her mug on her lap and turning towards Beast Boy. "Do you like it?"

Beast Boy smiled faintly. "Yeah. It's very good."

"What all have you read?"

"_Annabel Lee, The Conqueror Worm, The Raven…_" Beast Boy began counting on his fingers as he named the works. "_The City by the Sea, The Bells_…"

"Good grief," said Raven, bringing the mug to her mouth again. "You really did have a long night."

Beast Boy nodded slowly as he began to shut his eyes.

* * *

"Are we almost ready?" asked Starfire, looking at an assortment of items on the kitchen counter.

"I think so," said Raven, looking once more into the cabinet under the kitchen sink. "I can't find anything else that we might need, and I know I already have the other stuff in my room." Closing the door, Raven stood up and headed towards the counter. "Lift the load."

Starfire giggled faintly as she scooped up a number of bottles. The two had previously been looking around the kitchen for things to help bring Raven's clock into completion. Having looked for several minutes, the two had found a gracefully large number of tarnish removers, polishers, and cleaners.

"Sorry that took a while," said Raven as she and Starfire headed down the hall. "I just wanted to make sure we got everything at one time."

"It is understandable," said Starfire. "I am just glad that you are allowing me to help."

Raven didn't respond.

The two girls walked in silence, Raven in the lead and Starfire closely behind. As the Tamaranian kept a small smile on her face, the empath remained unemotional. As the two stepped into an elevator, Starfire took a quick glance at her friend's face, only to find the same visage that was normally there. Starfire knew very well that Raven wouldn't be as excited as she was, but she had a feeling that something else must've been going on.

_It is almost like she is thinking of something_ thought Starfire as she turned her gaze to the elevator doors once again. _I doubt anything could have happened, though. Nothing out of the ordinary, anyway. But then again, this _is _Raven I am thinking about…_

Starfire stopped the conversation with herself when the elevator doors began to slowly open. Raven briskly walked ahead, leaving Starfire to stay behind. A fraction of a second later, the Tamaranian caught up.

"What are we going to do?" asked Starfire, trying desperately to make conversation.

"Try to finish tonight," replied Raven, not changing her pace. "And then we'll set it. I'm just hoping that everything works…"

"I'm sure it will," said Starfire as the two stopped in front of the door to Raven's room.

Using her pinky finger, Raven punched in her password, causing the door to slide open. Starfire, who was very familiar with Raven's room now, walked in without difficulty.

The Tamaranian gasped immediately after she entered the room. "Raven…"

The clock was still lying on the floor but, unlike its previous state, was now in one piece. Despite the fact that it lacked a face and its chime was outside of the body, it looked almost new.

"You like?" asked Raven, standing over the clock. "It took me forever, but now I've almost got it."

"It is wonderful…"

As Raven took a seat on the floor, Starfire remained standing, too mesmerized by the black object before her. Despite its gothic look, it was still one of the most beautiful things she had ever seen.

"Here," said Raven, snapping Starfire out of her trance. "What I want you to do is get rid of the tarnish on this chime and polish it." Starfire looked down to see Raven pointing to a large brass bell.

"OK," said Starfire, sitting down.

Starfire looked at the assortment of bottles in front of her, taking the tarnish remover and brass polisher. She had only done this once or twice, but it was not hard. Soon enough, Starfire had the bell coated with tarnish remover.

"I need a rag," said Starfire, looking at the bottles in case she brought some.

"You can use a couple of washcloths from my bathroom closet," said Raven, working on something else. "Just throw them away when you're done."

Starfire got up off of the floor and made her way to the bathroom. Once there, she opened the closet door and removed several blue washcloths. Making her way back to the bell, she sat down once again, took a washcloth, and began to wipe the tarnish off.

The brass bell had been darkened by years of tarnish build up, causing it to turn a sickly blackish green. Now it was back to its golden hue, but even though it looked new, Starfire tossed the cloth away, closed the bottle, and opened the bottle of polisher.

Though Starfire proceeded to polish the bell very thoroughly, it didn't look any shinier than it had after she removed the tarnish. Now done, Starfire tossed her second rag to the side and closed the bottle of polisher.

The two girls continued their work in silence, Starfire now polishing the clock's wooden frame with wood polish and Raven working on the clock's maintenance.

"Where is your trashcan, Raven?" asked Starfire, observing her work. "I believe I am finished."

"Right over there," said Raven, pointing to the back right corner of the room.

Starfire smiled as she picked up the dirty washcloths and stood up. Making her way towards the trashcan, Starfire also noticed that Raven's fire extinguisher was located in this corner of the room as well. The Titans had one in every room and were hardly used, but were still kept just in case.

As Starfire stood over the trashcan, she noticed an old, yellowed circle sitting on the bottom. It looked very much like a clock's face, with Roman numerals circling its edges as the numbers one through twelve. As she got a closer look, she noticed that there was only one thing that kept it from being perfect, and that was a red stain near the number two.

Starfire lowered her head, almost to where her nose was sticking inside the trashcan. She reached out her hand and, with her index finger, moved forward. As soon as she was about to touch the stain, she was broken out of her trance.

"Starfire."

Starfire immediately became upright, returning her hands to her side. Quickly turning her head, she noticed Raven, still sitting on the floor and doing something else to the clock.

"Yes, Raven?"

"Get over here, would you? I need your help on something."

Starfire gave a nod, knowing very well that Raven couldn't see it, and made her way to the empath.

* * *

The five Titans sat on their couch in the living room, eyes fixed on the flashing television in front of them. It was Friday, and that meant that they were to watch a movie of their choice. They were no more than thirty minutes into it when their VCR clock struck ten, immediately followed by a loud, dull chime.

The five lost their deep focus upon the television and sat there in silence as nine more of the same chimes followed. The tower was once again quiet, despite the television, which also seemed to have stopped to listen.

"What was that?" asked Cyborg, shifting his eyes towards his comrades.

"That was my clock," said Raven, giving a faint smile. "I finished working on it today."

"Really?" asked Robin. "It's done?"

"Yes!" said Starfire. "And I helped!"

Robin and Cyborg congratulated her, while Beast Boy continued to sit in silence. Out of nowhere, the changeling got up from the couch and muttered "I'm going to bed", causing the other conversation to stop.

"What?" asked Robin. "Are you sure? The movie's not even halfway through."

"Yeah…" Beast Boy made his way to the back of the room, where he stopped and turned around. "I'll see you guys in the morning."

As Beast Boy opened the exiting doors, he could feel the eyes of his friends staring at the back of his head. He didn't know what caused him to get up, but out of nowhere, he had an urge to get up and get as far away from them as possible. Of course, now he would have to go to his room.

As he made his way down the gray halls, his footsteps echoed throughout, giving him an odd feeling. It would be best just to turn in for the night… tomorrow would be a new day; a better day.

As he opened the door to his room, he noticed his warm bed and gave a faint smile. He _was_ rather tired and he was quite ready to go to sleep, despite how early it was. He took off his clothes and changed into his soft pajamas, then made his way over to the bed.

As he sat down, he noticed a black book in the corner of his eye. Raven's book sat on his nightstand, its covers opened but its pages lying facedown, as if Beast Boy was keeping his place. Picking it up, Beast Boy turned it over to see the picture of the horrible corpse he had seen not to long ago.

The image filled Beast Boy's mind, and, right as his mind was filled to its maximum, he turned a few pages back. There, in large red letters, was written _The Masque of the Red Death_.

Beast Boy lay back on his bed and began to read.


	4. Who Dares?

A/N: I would like to apologize for not updating. I uh… seem to be gaining apathy for this fic. But this is the second-to-last chapter, so why not just go ahead and get it over with?

I got a review for the last chapter that said chapter three was a tad boring (You know who you are. Grr.). I hope this chapter isn't as terrible, but keep in mind that I need it here to build up for the end.

Speaking of the end, I actually have no idea how I'm going to end the fic. Pretty pathetic, hmm? I had one idea, but then I realized it was too much of a paradox, but now I'm actually considering it. Either that, or I… do the other thing…

Keep in mind I love pathetic flames, so if I end up doing something you hate, use your n00b skills to make me burn like tap water.

* * *

**_When the eyes of Prince Prospero fell upon this spectral image (which with a slow and solemn movement, as if more fully to sustain its role, stalked to and fro among the waltzers) he was seen to be convulsed, in the first moment with a strong shudder either of terror or distaste; but, in the next, his brow reddened with rage._**

_**"Who dares?" he demanded hoarsely of the courtiers who stood near him --"who dares insult us with this blasphemous mockery? Seize him and unmask him --that we may know whom we have to hang at sunrise, from the battlements!"**_

****

It was now 11:50 in the Titans Tower, and those that had chosen to stay up to watch a movie were now finished. The black veil that draped the night sky seemed to get blacker, and the darkness in the tower's living room went under the same effects. Two people were sitting in the dark room, talking faintly as they shifted around for the remote control in order to turn off the TV; these two people being Robin and Starfire.

"Here it is," said Robin, bending down towards the dark floor to pick up the object. "It must've fallen off the arm."

Starfire watched as her friend stood back up and placed the remote back on the sofa's arm. "Yes… It probably fell when Raven got up to get popcorn."

"Well, now that that's done, you can go to bed."

Starfire targeted her eyes to her friend's. "What? Are you not coming to bed as well?"

Robin smiled and shook his head. "Nah. I'm going to stay in here and update the archives. We've got those two bank robberies to put in there, and that attack by Cinderblock."

Starfire nodded and turned to leave. "Well… goodnight."

"Goodbye."

Starfire finished her short walk and turned around to face her friend once more. "What?" she asked, her eyes filled with curiosity.

Robin waved his hand from the left to the right. "Goodnight."

The Tamaranian smiled and turned to leave, leaving Robin alone in the darkness.

The Boy Wonder, now alone to himself, headed over to the tower's computer and turned it on. By clicking on a folder on the computer's desktop, Robin was able to open the Titans' archives, which held necessary information regarding the team. Each member had a profile, filled with their background, height, weight, and other personal information. For the sake of privacy, each Titan refused to look at a different profile than theirs and only opened the file regarding villains and foes. This was what Robin was doing now.

"Let's see…" said Robin to himself as he punched in various keys. "November 7: Bank robbery at Jump City Bank. Robbers breached the building through a northern window at three o'clock in the morning. One security guard injured. Robbers caught at twenty-five minutes past the hour with little hassle. Novem…"

Twelve loud and melodic rings echoed throughout the tower, cutting Robin off from his update. As he listened to the nonexistent thirteenth chime, he wondered how long it would take for the Titans to get used to it. He also couldn't help but wonder how many of them shared the same feeling as he did: fright.

"Nov… November 7: Bank robbery at Washington Mutual Bank. Robbers entered through the main entrance and pulled out pistols at five o'clock in the afternoon. None injured. Robbers caught at…"

A faint noise could be heard from behind him, and even though he could clearly hear what it sounded like, he couldn't think of a word to describe it. It could've been a swooshing noise, but at the same time, it sounded like a person screaming.

A person screaming because of _pain_…

"Is someone there?" asked Robin, a faint chill running down his body. He turned around in his chair to find the room completely empty. "Somebody?"

No response.

Robin, his chill now gone, turned back to the computer and continued to type.

"Robbers caught seventeen minutes later when…"

The swooshing scream was heard once again, and Robin turned around once more. Everything was in its rightful place, from furniture to magazines and books. However, he did not notice a tall, cloaked figure standing far from him. It was only when his eyes began to shift back to the computer's monitor did he notice the room's other occupant, and as soon as he did, the dreaded feeling of fear began to creep back into him.

"Who…?" he began, not able to find words to put a sentence together. "What…?"

Though it was extremely dark in the living room, the glow from the monitor gave Robin enough light to see that the figure wasn't facing him. Only it's back could be seen, which was covered with a blood-red cloak.

Standing up, Robin gritted his teeth together in annoyance, his dreaded fear now gone. "Who are you?" he demanded. "Tell me!"

The figure made no movements and gave no indication of having even heard the boy.

"Don't mock me!" shouted the youth, rage building up inside of him. "If you don't tell me, I'll wake the others, and I promise that won't be good for you at all!"

There was no verbal response from the being, but it _did _respond physically. It began to move until suddenly, Robin was staring into the eyes of a cold and corpse-like face.

Before Robin could even gasp in shock, pain began to enter his body from all sides. He had never felt such a feeling before; it was like every part of his body had a set of lungs and was slowly drowning. His stomach began to flip and spin and his legs gave out. He hit the floor with a thud, which only seemed to increase the pain. As he lay there, he felt something hot beginning to pour outside of him. With all strength he could muster, he lifted his head and looked down at his torso; blood was slowly coming out of every pore of his body, and shortly after this discovery, blood began to pour into his mouth between his yells of pain.

As he lay there on his back, his eyes staring at the ceiling above him, he couldn't help but realize that if he didn't get help soon, this would be his very end. Remembering what he had said to the stranger, he wondered how hard it would be to sound the tower's alarm. If he successfully did so, his friends would come to his aid, and there would be a chance that he would live.

However, his thoughts for short-lived, for Robin, hero of Jump City, was gone.

* * *

Seven short hours later, an alarm clock rang in a cozy room. Had this been any other morning, Starfire would have sat up in bed and turned the clock off. However, she wasn't in bed but on the floor, looking through a large and decrepit book. She was distracted, however, by the clock's electronic ring. Putting the book down, she slowly rose herself off the ground and carried herself to the clock. Pushing a button, she put it to rest, and silence once again filled the room.

_I'm so tired… _thought the Tamaranian to herself. As if on cue, a yawn escaped the girl's lips. Stretching, she wondered how sleep never came upon her, for it usually only took her fifteen minutes before she slipped into unconsciousness. Last night was different.

However, she spent no time dwelling on this, and within twenty minutes she had gotten herself dressed and ready for the day. It was a daily routine; she would get up (which she had no need to do today), brush her teeth, get dressed, and go downstairs.

Due to the fact that she did the following procedures everyday, she hardly had to use her mind in order to tell her body what to do. It had all become a natural process, and before too long, it was almost as if she were doing all of those actions while still asleep. As she was walking down one of the many hallways, however, she suddenly snapped out of her trance and began to wonder.

_Where am I going?_ she thought, looking out of a window. It was a dark and gloomy day; gray clouds covered the entire sky, and the girl could see small patches of rain falling down on the bay.

_It's almost as if something bad were going to happen… _

Though no rain was falling directly over the tower, Starfire couldn't help but feel depressed. Storms had always had this effect on her, whether for good or for bad. Before she could even tell what was happening, streaks of water began to run down the window as rain found its way over the teens' home.

Snapping out of her second spell, Starfire continued to make her way to her unknown destination. As she neared the living room, she couldn't help but feel a desire to run back to her room. She suppressed the urge, thinking it was nothing, and opened the door.

A scream interrupted the stone-cold silence of the tower as lighting lit the sky.

* * *

Two days later, water continued to fall from the sky at the most inopportune time. On a hill outside of Jump City, hundreds of people were huddled together, trying their best to avoid the cold rain. As their black mass separated themselves from their surroundings, a solitary man in white was before them, separated from the crowd by a coffin covered with an American flag.

"And may he rest in peace…" said the man in white, laying his left hand on the casket's top. "May he know no happier place but the kingdom of our Father God."

"Amen," said the crowd of black in unison.

A brief moment of silence filled the air as the priest continued to study the coffin. "And now it's time to say goodbye."

The priest walked away, closing his Holy Book and his head down low. A young girl in front of the black crowd walked up to the coffin and rested her hand on the flag's soft surface. Another girl shortly joined her and rested a hand on the mourner's shoulder.

"Starfire…"

"How did he die, Raven? How?"

"I don't know… Nobody knows. The autopsy was undecided, remember?"

A solitary tear fell off of Starfire's face, diluting one of the flag's lines of blood. "I do know that it was undecided… but people do not just die, Raven. Something horrible happened to him. I know it." A gasp escaped her lips, and the empath only grew more concerned.

"Starfire? What is it?"

"I _knew _it… That's why I couldn't get to sleep that night! And that's why I felt so horrible as I was walking towards… that room. I _knew _it would happen, Raven! I _knew _it!"

"Starfire… You were just unnerved by the fact the tower was so quiet. You know how you get when it rains…"

"Is something wrong?"

The two girls turned around to see Cyborg and Beast Boy standing there.

"Nothing's wrong," said Raven, looking back at the coffin. "Starfire's just upset that Robin died."

"We're all upset…" said Beast Boy, crossing his arms in discomfort and looking back at the broken crowd. "Just look at how many people showed up…"

"Listen, Star," said Cyborg, trying his best to get the Tamaranian to take her eyes off of the flag. "It's been a hard day. Let's go home and get some rest, hmm?"

Starfire's eyes remained fixed on one of the emblems red stripes, her eyes tired from crying. "I suppose it is the best idea…" Putting a lace handkerchief over her eyes, Cyborg and Beast Boy led her away. Raven, on the other hand, continued to stare at the coffin.

_Why did you die, Robin?_ _Why?_

"Miss Raven."

The empath looked up to see the priest standing on the opposite side.

"Father Duncan." Raven gave a faint nod. Father Duncan did not respond in words, but took the corners of the American flag and folded the emblem into a triangle, as customary.

"I'm so sorry…" he whispered, holding out the flag for Raven to take. "Truly I am."

Raven reached for the flag and gently grabbed hold of it. Bringing it to her chest, she turned around and walked off, ready to die.

* * *

Inside of the tower's living room, the four remaining teenagers watched the rain fall outside. The ocean churned as if sharing its condolences. All of the singing birds that usually populated the island no longer sang.

Five long minutes later, Starfire got up from the couch.

"I'm going to bed…" she said quietly, walking towards the door. "I will see you tomorrow."

"Starfire…" said Beast Boy, looking back at the Tamaranian. "Come back, please."

Starfire froze in her footsteps, her head down low. "I just don't want to be with people right now…" she answered, her voice cracking as if on the verge of tears. "I'm sorry."

"Come back, Star," said Raven, not hint of pity in her voice.

The Tamaranian gave in this time around and flew back to the couch. She seated herself next to Raven and stared out of the large window once again, her lips quivering.

"Listen," began Raven once again. "I know you're sad about Robin… We're all sad. But you've got to start living again."

"She's right, Star," said Cyborg, looking at the alien. "Life goes on."

"I know…" responded Starfire. "I just wish he hadn't died… I wish I had made him go to bed."

"Don't blame yourself."

The three looked over at Beast Boy, who shrugged. "What, I'm not allowed to speak?"

The changeling quickly got up off the couch and headed towards the door. He exited the room, and the three sat there in silence.

"I'll go after him," said Raven, following his lead.

* * *

"Beast Boy?"

Raven pressed her left ear against the steel door that led to the changeling's room, trying to hear any signs of movement. The door suddenly moved to the left, causing the empath to jerk back her head in a reflex. Beast Boy stood in the doorway, a book in his hand and a worried expression on his face.

"Raven…"

Raven couldn't help but glance from the open book to Beast Boy's extremely glossy eyes. Something was troubling him…

"Beast Boy? What's wrong?"

The changeling thrust his book at Raven, who grabbed it in a split reaction. "Read the first paragraph."

Confused as to what was going on, Raven did as her friend had said.

_The "Red Death" had long devastated the country. No pestilence had ever been so fatal, or so hideous. Blood was its Avatar and its seal --the redness and the horror of blood. There were sharp pains, and sudden dizziness, and then profuse bleeding at the pores, with dissolution. The scarlet stains upon the body and especially upon the face of the victim, were the pest ban which shut him out from the aid and from the sympathy of his fellow-men. And the whole seizure, progress and termination of the disease, were the incidents of half an hour._

Raven looked up from the book and stared into Beast Boy's emerald eyes. "Beast Boy… Are you trying to say that… _this _killed Robin?"

"That's what I'm led to believe," said Beast Boy, taking the book back from Raven. "I know it sounds crazy, but…"

"No… No it doesn't. It all makes sense. We found Robin in a pool of his own blood, and it was a lot... But even if it make sense, how could the Red Death come here?"

Silence permeated the air for a long twenty seconds until Beast Boy finally spoke.

"The clock, Raven… You had finished rebuilding the clock that same day."

Immediately, Raven understood what the changeling was trying to prove. She was haunted with images from the past, where she had been sent to that one terrible room, filled with dying people. She had never realized that it was the exact same scene from the tale.

"What are we going to do…?"

"Nothing. Nothing can escape death."

"But it's been two days since we found Robin. Couldn't the Red Death have just come and killed us then?"

Raven put a hand to her chin. "Starfire said that Robin was going to stay up longer, didn't she?"

Beast Boy nodded.

"Then my theory is that you can't die by the Red Death unless you see him face to face. Robin was still awake while we were all asleep, and he saw the Red Death's face. We were all sleeping, and we continued to go to sleep at the same time. No one stayed up later than everyone else."

"So… if we fall asleep before midnight, we should be fine?"

Raven shrugged. "That's the only thing I can think of. Of course, we're going to have to tell the others."

"Should we, though? They'd probably just worry."

"…You're right. We just have to make sure no one goes to bed later than midnight."

Beast Boy nodded his understanding and closed the door to his room, showing confidence in this idea. Raven, on the other hand, wondered if she and her friends were safe or not.

She made her way to the tower's rooftop, thinking about all that had happened.


	5. Illimitable Dominion

**_And now was acknowledged the presence of the Red Death. He had come like a thief in the night. And one by one dropped the revelers in the blood-bedewed halls of their revel, and died each in the despairing posture of his fall. And the life of the ebony clock went out with that of the last of the gay. And the flames of the tripods expired. And Darkness and Decay and the Red Death held illimitable dominion over all. _**

The dull sound of the clock's bell rang throughout the tower twice, signaling the fourteenth hour. It had now been a week after the funeral, and although most of the tower's occupants had managed to continue on with their lives, one remained locked in her room, leaving only to creep to the restroom or kitchen. Usually, no one ever seemed to interrupt her, despite the fact they would eye her with concern when she _did _leave her quarters. And yet, they somehow managed to keep their worry to themselves, and after a short time, Starfire would soon leave the room to return to her prison.

The others were affected shortly after this sudden change in character. As most people, they did not realize how the alien's cheer and warmth put a part of their lives into motion. Beast Boy had yet to come up with any new jokes, and Cyborg had now lost two people he could comfortably sit and talk with.

Raven, on the other hand, was the least affected, for she was able to do the things she normally did. There were always plenty of books to read, and when she read those books, she would only have to make a trip to the county library to get more. It was only after she had read _Ethan Frome _did she begin to feel a need to confront Starfire's problem.

For instance, on a cold, gray morning, Raven managed to spot Starfire skulking around the hall, her skin ten shades paler than its usual tone. Her eyes were the usual shade of green and bore no traces of being bloodshot, though they were not as wide and heartwarming. Instead, they were constantly half-open, and staring directly into her pupils seemed to only send a slight shiver down one's spine, causing that individual to turn away immediately.

The girls walked in opposite directions, the blank stare of the alien getting closer and closer to Raven. It wasn't until Starfire was twenty feet behind her that she made an attempt to speak.

"Starfire?"

Her footsteps had been as lifeless as her face, almost like a mentally imbalanced patient surrounded by watchful nurses. Raven was now staring at her long, red hair, which no longer seemed to match with the rest of her body.

"…What?"

At last; the first words she had heard from her in a long time. She had almost forgotten what she sounded like…

"Are you OK?"

A long five seconds of silence followed, but to Raven it felt more like several hours. She didn't understand why she wasn't used to it yet; she had been hearing this same kind of silence ever since the funeral. But now, due to the fact it was coming from a person that was usually so cheerful, it was disturbing.

"…I could be… better."

Despite the fact she had been longing to hear words once again, they came all too soon; Raven was startled and flinched, but immediately recovered. Raven then remembered why she had confronted the girl in the first place, but she pushed her mission aside, responding with an "Alright… I'll see you around" and turning to leave.

Although the tower had become a solemn place, life still continued. Raven and Beast Boy, cautious of their horrible discovery, had managed to set up an agreeable curfew for the team. Bedtime was to be ten o'clock, for "a long chance of rest for the morning", as Raven would put it. Although she and the changeling _did _consider telling the team their discovery, they kept their secret and ensured their comrades safety by taking this procedure.

And apparently, no one died. Well… physically, at least.

Despite this reassurance, the two friends couldn't help but wonder if there was going to be some kind of event that would keep the team awake past midnight (midnight being realized the time that the Red Death struck from the story's textual reference). On several circumstances, Beast Boy was lucky enough to catch Cyborg in the living at 11:30. This was the closest call they had ever had.

Of course, the idea that Cyborg may not be harmed occupied the changeling's brain. He had managed to remember his trip into the android's body as a cell, which proved that he _did _have some kind of circulatory track. He brought it up with Raven, who agreed with his theory; and besides, android or not, they couldn't take any chances.

But in the end, whether it was a risk or not, the Titans fell to pain and horror. The events I'm about to tell now may shock you, if not disturb you, because of their unpredictability. What happened on that terrible, terrible night is nothing to be joked about, and, if one can resist, thought about in any way. The idea that such a fate could happen to four, helpless teenagers in their safe home disturbed the citizens of Jump City in many ways. It was even wondered if it was a rumor; of course, the Titans _didn't _show up in the city now, but who were they to say? No one ever went out to the small island that housed their home, so no one could confirm if they were alive or not.

But now, I digress. There's a time for discussion and a time for story-telling. What happened _is _true, and whether or not it'll happen again I'm unsure. However, the following paragraphs, as well as many of the paragraphs before, are a retelling of the story that has haunted the city for years and years to come.

The fatal mistake began when Raven built up the nerve to confront Starfire once again, hoping to get her back into the normal swing of things. As she knocked on the alien's door, she couldn't help but wonder if her plan would work or not, but either way, she had to try.

After a long minute, the once cheerful girl slowly opened her door. If Raven had managed to see this girl's new image a hundred times, it would still appear new and shocking.

"Yes?" asked Starfire, the door open wide enough to see an emerald eye surrounded by pale skin.

"Hey Starfire," said Raven, trying to sound warm. "The other guys and I just found out… there's a _Three's Company_ marathon on TV tonight, and we were wondering if you would like to come down and-"

Before the empath could finish her sentence, the emerald eye disappeared, replaced by the gray of the door.

Raven sighed and pressed her cheek against the wall. "Starfire," she spoke, knowing very well that the alien on the other side could hear her. "It's been long enough now. Don't you think it's time to move on?"

For the longest time, there was no response. As Raven was about to walk away in defeat, she gave a startled gasp when she saw the door open completely. Starfire's frail figured was standing in the doorframe, her red hair now matted and ruined.

"I'm… willing to try, Raven," she spoke, looking at the empath straight in the eye. "I've _been _willing… but it's been so hard. _Too _hard."

"I know," said Raven, giving a faint smile. "But hey, you _do _know that you're not the only one going through this, right?"

Though Starfire gave no signs of reaction, Raven knew she was surprised. "Really?"

"Absolutely. Cyborg's been bored out of his mind ever since you've locked yourself up, and Beast Boy…" Raven rolled her eyes to the left. "Well, Beast Boy's just… odd, and I haven't been the same either."

"I don't make _that _much of a difference."

"You make a _world _of difference."

Starfire bit her lips and nodded. "OK. I'll come… but I can't guarantee I'll have a great time."

"Trust me," said Raven, grabbing hold of Starfire's right hand. "You will."

It was from this moment on that the two girls walked down the hall to the living room, talking endlessly about various topics. Starfire had asked if anything major had happened, only to find out that no, things had been the same. "The same", of course, meaning that no villains of any kind had managed to threaten the city beyond a policeman's control. They would then talk about many other things, from the open topic of world news to the private discussion of boys.

These "girl talks", as Starfire called them, had only happened on a very rare basis, and while the alien enjoyed them a great deal, Raven usually had a large feeling of discomfort. To her surprise, however, she felt no uneasiness at all during this long commute to the living room. It was almost as if Starfire was already becoming her old self once again, and because of that, Raven felt… happy, for a change.

After a short amount of time, the two reached the living room, where Cyborg and Beast Boy were sitting on the couch, just about to turn on the television. The two boys looked behind them and smiled, happy to know that things went smoothly between the two girls.

"Feeling alright?" asked Cyborg as he looked at the alien. Starfire smiled faintly and nodded, causing the cyborg to grin even wider.

"Come," said Beast Boy, patting an empty cushion. "Sit. The show's just about to start."

And the show did start, and for the first time in a long while, Starfire felt complete.

Now, from this point forward, the horror and tragedy begins. Any reader that has a full, sound mind would think that from the events above, nothing terrible would happen to the four on a couch. However, ideas can escape the mind, just as thoughts that were intended to be remembered can be forgotten.

As the marathon rounded its fifth hour, the four continued to laugh heartily at the classic television show. Starfire had long ago regained her cheerful voice, and Beast Boy was back to making witty (though sometimes terrible) comments as events took place on the plasma screen. Their eyes were focused on this very screen, and even though they wanted that evening to go oh so well, things were about to make a turn for the worse.

The horror began to enter the hearts of these carefree teenagers when Beast Boy got up to get a glass of water.

"Anybody want anything?" asked Beast Boy as he got off of the couch.

"Bring me back that sandwich in the fridge," said Cyborg, turning his head to look at the changeling. "It's in that white wrap."

Beast Boy made his way over to the refrigerator, reached inside, and got the sandwich. Half of his work done, he headed over to the cabinet and reached for a glass, and having done so, turned on the sink and filled the glass three-fourths full, turned around, and managed to read the time on the microwave.

11:58.

_No…_

Beast Boy, in all carelessness, threw the sandwich and the glass down onto the kitchen floor, where the latter crashed into a million pieces, sending fragments and water over the surface.

"Beast Boy?" asked Starfire, voice calling from the living room. "Is everything alright?"

"Um…" said Beast Boy, looking at the clock once again. 11:59. "I think we should all go to bed now."

Beast Boy could've sworn he heard a feminine and horrified gasp.

"What?" asked Cyborg. "Are you kidding? The marathon's not even half-way over!"

"I don't care," said Beast Boy, rushing back into the living room. "Rules are rules. Get going, now."

"Beast Boy?" asked Starfire, her eyes wide with concern. "What's going on?"

Before the changeling could even answer, twelve loud chimes echoed throughout the tower, striking fear into the hearts of two individuals.

"Beast Boy," said Raven, giving Beast Boy a worried glance. "Get back on the couch."

Beast Boy returned the glance with a curious one. "What?"

"Get on the couch, Beast Boy."

"Yeah," said Cyborg, turning up the volume to the television. "We can stay up late for one night."

"Beast Boy, get on the couch, now, and don't even _look_ at that door."

Beast Boy sat on the couch with much haste, and the four continued to look at the screen. While Cyborg and Starfire laughed as joyously as they had done before, Beast Boy and Raven sat still, as if waiting for something to happen.

It was then that the television suddenly turned off, leaving the four in moonlight.

"Hey…" said Cyborg. "What happened? Did somebody sit on the remote?"

"I did not," said Starfire. "The remote is on the coffee table, where you put it."

Cyborg opened his mouth to speak once again, but he closed it when he heard a swooshing noise behind him.

"What was that?" he asked, about to turn his head.

"Don't…" said Raven, her eyes shut tight, "turn… around…"

"What?" asked the android, giving the empath a glance. "Why?"

"Don't do it," said Raven, her voice sounding very stern. "Whatever you do, keep facing the TV with your eyes shut _tightly_."

For the longest time, silence echoed throughout the living room, being broken by an identical noise.

As they sat, Raven couldn't help but wonder _how _she allowed her friends into this mess. She _and _Beast Boy had agreed that going to bed before twelve would be the safest thing for all of them, and yet… she let something as stupid as a TV program get in her way. She was such a fool... and she could only wonder if Beast Boy felt the same way.

"Raven…" whispered Starfire from beside her. "Who _is _he…?"

Raven couldn't believe it… Starfire had opened her eyes and was looking at this horrible servant from Hell. She realized, though, that if the alien could open her eyes and see this creature, it was safe for her to do so as well.

She opened her eyes slowly, only to see the back of a red, blood-stained cloak. It, too, was facing the television, almost as if it were an animal, confused as to why the four were looking at something so intently.

"Whatever you do," said Raven, whispering quietly, "if he ever turns around, _don't _look into his eyes."

This hint was not enough, for Raven could tell that this only confused Starfire. She was still looking at this strange presence, no doubt wondering how he had come into the tower and asking herself why. However, Raven felt extremely reassured when Starfire inhaled deeply and shut her eyes tight, and she did the same thing.

However, four or five seconds later, her eyes shot open as the result of a bloodcurdling scream. She looked beside her to see that the others had done it as well, except Starfire's face held an expression of shock and disgust.

There, on the ground, Cyborg lay rolling on the floor, a clear fluid seeping out of his remaining skin and sparks flying from every which way. His good eye was wide open as well as his mouth, which was releasing loud, terrifying screams into the cold air. Curiosity had gotten the best of him.

"Everyone out…" said Raven, getting up off the couch.

"Raven!" shouted Starfire, no doubt looking at her friend. "We can't just _leave _him!"

"Get out!" shouted Raven, noticing that Beast Boy had already taken her advice. "Run!"

Starfire stared back at Cyborg's body as Raven darted across the room and exited. Despite the fact she wanted to help her friend in any way she could, she left as well. She didn't know _where _she would go, but she knew for certain that she would have to get as far away from this… "being" as possible.

As she flew through the metallic halls of the tower, she felt tears leaking down her face as she heard the screams of her friend die out. The day she had decided to put her life back together, something had to happen to someone else. She was almost ready to give up.

However, she _didn't _give up, and instead continued her flight to wherever she would end up. This just so happened to be her own room, and as she approached her door, she touched down on the floor and allowed the laws of momentum to give her the running speed she needed to reach her door quickly.

After rapidly typing in her code, the girl ran inside her quarters and quickly pushed the door shut. She then threw herself against it, breathing very rapidly from both exhaustion and fear.

The alien girl slowly walked away from her door, clutching her chest as if that were a way to allow air into her lungs. She closed her eyes and continued to walk, knowing that sooner or later she would get to the opposite side of the room. She opened her eyes once again to find herself in front of her large window, through which the moon's beams shined through brightly. The moon had always been a calming thing to the alien, and as she gazed at it, she wished that she could fly to the moon to escape whatever was in this tower.

It was then that it dawned on her… If she got outside of the tower, she and her friends would be safe! A smile appeared on her face as she reached for the latch, but that smile was soon replaced by a gasp when she saw a corpse-like face appear from below. Whatever that being was, it had tracked her to her room, and it was now making eye contact through her window.

As she kept her mouth open, she randomly found herself screaming as a searing pain replaced the feeling of fear. Her knees gave out below her and she fell to the floor, writhing and twitching as her bloodcurdling screams filled the air. She soon felt something warm leaking out from every pore of her body, images of Cyborg and even Robin in her mind.

So _this _was how they died… They both must've seen the eyes of the creature.

But as she lay on the floor to die, not every thought was focused on the pain and suffering she and her friends had to go through. Maybe, just maybe, she would be able to see her departed companions in another world.

Just maybe…

* * *

For five minutes now, Raven had been running throughout the tower, her destination unknown. Though her legs and arms were aching, she never quit to rest. Instead, she continued to make her unknown destination, hoping that somehow she would be able to escape death.

In her mind, however, she knew that she had little chance of doing so, and it wasn't until she crashed into something that she stopped running.

Clutching her head in pain, Raven quickly stood on her feet to see what she had hit.

It was Beast Boy.

Letting out a small gasp, she quickly reached out her hand to assist the changeling. After shaking his head he looked up, smiled, and accepted her assistance.

"And what are _you _running from?" asked Beast Boy. Somehow, someway, he had managed to keep a sense of humor.

"I'm running from my doom," muttered Raven, her smile disappearing. "I take it you have no idea where you're going to go, either?"

Beast Boy shook his head. "No idea."

Raven looked down the hall, eager to see if she knew where it would lead. "My room's close to here. If we can get there before that… thing does, we can get out the window and go someplace safe."

"But what about Starfire?" asked Beast Boy, stopping Raven from moving. "What if she's still alive? We can't just _leave _her."

Raven turned back to stare into the eyes of her friend, and though she hated to admit it, he had a point.

"Fine," she said, a hint of reluctance in her voice. "But we should get to my room anyway. If the Red Death ever did enter, we could at least have a chance to get away."

The empath immediately set out for her new destination. The changeling behind her shrugged and took pursuit, and the two were in front of the girl's door in less than a minute.

Raven quickly typed in her security code with all due speed and entered, the changeling behind her. To him, her room had _never_ been a welcoming place, but now it was probably the only place he wanted to be.

This room, of course, and some place far, far away.

"So what do we do now?" he asked, taking a few steps and looking around, taking in the scenery as if it were his last chance to see it. "Do we just wait until one o'clock, or what?"

There was no response for a good five seconds, but from the shock of the current events, Beast Boy only guessed that such a delay would be acceptable. However, there wasn't a response for ten, fifteen, or even twenty seconds. Instead, the silence lasted for about a minute, and Beast Boy grew awfully curious.

"Raven?" he asked, turning around. "Did you hear me?"

And she didn't hear him, for he discovered she was staring at the tall clock that decorated her wall. Now, the only sound in the room was that of the pendulum, which would swing back and forth to count the precious seconds life had to offer.

"Raven?" asked the changeling again, as if he were a parent awaking their child from a deep sleep. "Hello? Is something wrong? Are you-"

"Help me move the clock, Beast Boy."

Beast Boy only stood in silence, his brain trying to comprehend what she had just said. "Um… What?"

"Come on. Help me move it."

Shrugging, the boy joined his comrade and grabbed the left edge of the piece. The two then dragged the clock outward towards the middle, showing the wall that was once covered.

"Why did we do that, Raven?" asked Beast Boy, not understanding his accomplishment. Raven, however, did not respond, but instead put herself behind the piece so she could see the back.

"Come here, Beast Boy. I want you to see something…"

Beast Boy made his way so he could see the back of the clock as well, but the only thing he saw was more of the black wood that made up the body.

"What?"

"Look here."

Raven lifted her index finger and pressed it against a spot on back. Her finger nail was just under a faint marking that Beast Boy hadn't noticed before, and as he bent forward to look, the mark became bigger and clearer.

There, faintly etched into the wood, was the number 1840.

"What are you getting at, Raven?" asked Beast Boy. "I'm guessing this is just a fake year, right?"

"Beast Boy," said Raven. "This clock was made two years before _The Masque of the Red Death _was written and published."

"But how do you know that?" asked Beast Boy. "Replicas were made because of popularity, right? What if they just wrote a number down to say that this was the year the clock in the story was made?"

"That's the thing. Nowhere in the story does it say when the clock was created. They wouldn't have put a date on the replicas; that would be assumption. And they certainly couldn't have made this clock before the story ever came out. I hope you're understanding where I'm getting at."

Beast Boy only shook his head.

"_The Masque of the Red Death_, Beast Boy, was a true event, and this clock is the real thing."

A moment of silence drifted throughout the room, broken only by the constant ticks of the pendulum.

"Then…" began Beast Boy, shaking his head as he looked at the ground, "how could Poe've written this? He would've had to been there to know about it, wouldn't have he? And he would've _died_."

"Perhaps he didn't go," said Raven. "Perhaps word got out to a select few, and it reached him. Maybe it was a freak coincidence. Who knows?"

The two Titans then stood there for a very long time, the clock's pendulum being the only source of noise. However, it was not the only source for very long, for an ear-piercing scream filled the halls of the tower.

"That was… Starfire, wasn't it?" began Beast Boy, gulping.

Raven frowned and nodded, shutting her eyes tightly.

"Come on, then." The changeling then headed over to the empath's window. "We can leave now. We have a chance!"

Though he was solemn for his friend's death, he knew very well that if he stayed around, he too would end up like the others. It didn't feel right to leave them here, but it wasn't exactly right to stay. If he and Raven managed to survive, they could come back to collect the bodies later.

However, Raven did not move, but stayed where she was. Her lips were pursed tightly and her eyes shut closed, and she remained that way for a good amount of time.

"Raven," began Beast Boy. "Come on! We should go!"

Her response, however, was not exactly what he expected. Instead, she darted towards the other side of her room and grabbed her mounted fire extinguisher. She then turned around and darted towards the clock and stopped just before it, where she then brought the metallic barrel to the fragile body of the piece.

"Damn you!" she shouted, hitting the clock with amazing force. "Damn you to Hell! Damn you!"

Beast Boy had never seen his friend in such a state. However, she continued to defy her image, and continued to strike the clock with all of her might. The pendulum stopped its motion, and large amounts of wooden splinters flew through the air. The glass case broke into a million pieces, and finally, after much abuse, the clock collapsed on top of itself to become a mound of rubble on the floor.

This wasn't the end of it, however. Raven continued to ruin her personality. There, kneeling on the floor and to Beast Boy's shock, was an angry and weeping girl, each of her sobs putting an end to her emotionless state.

"What did I do?" she managed to say through her tears. "What did I _do_?"

Beast Boy couldn't do anything but stand there, shocked beyond belief to see his friend in such a state.

"Raven… You… You didn't know. You didn't."

His words brought no comfort to the girl, and just as things couldn't get worse, Beast Boy heard a loud swoosh beyond the door.

"Raven!" he shouted, his voice riddled with fear. "Please! Come on! He's here!"

Again, no response came from the girl but quiet sobs. The swoosh outside of their door became louder, and Beast Boy's fear seemed to have reached its peak.

"**Raven! We've got to go!**"

Sooner than he imagined, the door to Raven's room burst open, and there, in all of its horror, was the Red Death.

In all of the horrible reactions to make, Beast Boy looked towards the door, as if wondering who it was that had opened it so recklessly. He also brought his eyes to meet the empty sockets of the Red Death, and immediately, pain began to flow through his body, and blood out of his pores.

However, as he lay there dying, Raven continued to remain on the floor as if oblivious to everything. But now, she was actually witnessing a victim of the Red Death, and although she tried to stop, hearing the pained screams of Beast Boy only made her cry harder.

It was only when the screams stopped did she quit crying, but when she did, she continued to remain on the floor, her eyes leaking the excess of her tears.

"It's quite funny, isn't it?" she asked to the only other being in the room. Of course, it did not respond, but she could feel that it was paying close attention. "I've once again allowed something to happen to everyone else, haven't I? It never fails…"

A moment of silence went by, and although Death itself was in her presence, no fear struck the empath's heart.

"I… think it's time for me to go now. You've taken away all of my friends, and I have no one else to turn to… My only choice would be to return to Azarath, and that's really the last place I would like to go."

She slowly stood up, her eyes facing the wall that was once covered by the one thing that had started it all; the one thing that had taken everything she held dear.

"I would like you to take me. Who knows? Maybe I'll see my friends somewhere else."

Though she knew very well that the Red Death probably couldn't understand a single word she said, it stood still, almost as if it were confused of this girl's decision.

Raven continued to stand there, ready to turn and look into the face of Death. And it was a brief moment later that she _did _turn and look into the creatures empty sockets. And she was gone.

* * *

From that moment on, people of Jump City began to wonder whatever happened to their saviors. It was two months later that they discovered what happened. A man, the mayor of the city, and his wife took a small boat out to the Titans' island, where they entered the tower. All security features were immediately shut down by the mayor, who knew very well the layout of the tower, and after a brief ten minutes of exploration, the body of their robotic hero was found, in a mangled heap and completely beyond repair.

After a grueling excavation, the three discovered the rest of the bodies… or what was left of them. In a bright, pink room, they there discovered the bones of what was known to be one of the most carefree and loving people of the city, mangled just like the robot before her.

And in the end, the journey came to a close as they opened the darkest room of the tower. There, they discovered two sets of bones, one of which belonging to one of their most heart-warming and cheerful people. This pair of bones was mangled and crooked like the rest of them; while the skull rested on the floor in an upright position, all of the other bones were in an amorphous pile, as if the person that died was in an extremely awkward position when he left.

The second pair of bones, however, was in no such fashion. This skeleton was straight and neat; its skull was facing the ceiling, and despite the fact she was dead, the three could easily tell that the person was neatly lying on her back when she died. The fact that this pair of bones was different from the others only made them curious, but they decided that dwelling on this matter was pointless.

The four bodies were placed alongside their leader on a cold, rainy day, and although no one wanted to dwell on the fact that their greatest heroes had been killed, they certainly knew that one thing for sure.

Darkness, and Decay, and the Red Death held illimitable dominion over all.

**_THE END_**

چ


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